Calf milk powder to strong lambs ?

[cowgirl95]

Anybody tried it ?

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Could the copper in the calf milk be an issue ?

 

[neilo]

Copper content possibly an issue, as well as a different vitamin spectrum?

Even more of an issue would be the milk solids (the bit they grow on) being about half in cow’s milk. Could perhaps get round that by mixing at a higher concentration, which would likely ramp the cost up well above ewe milk replacer anyway.

 

[Db1490]

I’ve fed calf milk powder to lambs no problem, they do even better on whole cows milk (dump milk)

 

[Agrivator]

If lambs have grown well, have access to creep and water, but still consume vast quantities of ad lib milk, does anyone reduce the concentration of the milk?

 

[neilo]

If lambs have grown well, have access to creep and water, but still consume vast quantities of ad lib milk, does anyone reduce the concentration of the milk?

Only when the powder runs out in the machine without me noticing. Creep intake always shoots up when that happens so, assuming all the lambs in the group are ready for weaning (5 weeks old), it could be a useful way of transitioning them?
I rarely have all of one age on at one time though. Currently they range from 1 day to 4 weeks.

I did once have the machine wander off calibration, so that the milk powder was only mixing at half strength (which I didn't realise until I eventually checked that). As with lambs I've seen reared on 'cheap' cow's milk, intakes were higher (so the milk powder was still going at a fair rate) but the lambs really didn't thrive, going gutty & pot bellied. I was so concerned about them that I even had the vet PM a couple, without finding anything. Sometimes it's the simple things that get overlooked, in case just a quick recalibration needed.

 

[bazza3034]

Just reduce the amount of feeds get them weaned on to grass water and meal it more cost effective plus lambs need to cud if not they will gas up and die

 

[North East Crofter]

We are using it once the lambs are well established as 50:50 mix lambs have access to creep and fresh water, plenty clean straw just using it at the mix recommended on the bag, lambs doing well, wont be long before the biggest are weaned.

 

[cowgirl95]

I’ve fed calf milk powder to lambs no problem, they do even better on whole cows milk (dump milk)

good to know plenty of dump milk around at the minute !

 

[Chasingmytail]

I raised last years pet lambs on raw jersey milk and had some of the best pets ever. Ive also used half a bag of calf milk that was hanging around. You could add some powdered colustrum to the mix I also added some live yogurt to the mix.

 

[Agrivator]

I raised last years pet lambs on raw jersey milk and had some of the best pets ever. Ive also used half a bag of calf milk that was hanging around. You could add some powdered colustrum to the mix I also added some live yogurt to the mix.

The Moredun Res Institute used to rear pet lambs on out-of- date UHT milk from the local convenience store. And I remember being very impressed with how they looked - the lambs, not the staff.

 

[neilo]

I raised last years pet lambs on raw jersey milk and had some of the best pets ever. Ive also used half a bag of calf milk that was hanging around. You could add some powdered colustrum to the mix I also added some live yogurt to the mix.

Jersey milk would certainly be better than Holstein milk, being far higher solids.?
Surely powdered colostrum is too expensive to add to it though?

 

[Chasingmytail]

Jersey milk would certainly be better than Holstein milk, being far higher solids.?
Surely powdered colostrum is too expensive to add to it though?

yes sorry, I didnt explain, I just added the odd few tablespoons now and again. I had some left over in a tub - I wouldnt buy some to add it it.